Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, a woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the rivals have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

My Verdict: cIn Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question. Instead, this is a story of revenge. There is no clear good guy or bad guy in this fantasy novel. The characters are all flawed and I loved that the central characters began the novel with one set of flaws and ended the novel with different flaws altogether. While none of the characters feel flat, one of the rivals did seem much more complex than the other. This was a fun read. I appreciated the originality and the exploration of how character received their powers and why. It was dark. Great book. I give this one 5 stars.